Atomic layer stacking device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to an atomic layer deposition apparatus. The atomic layer deposition apparatus includes a transition chamber, a diffusion chamber, and one or more exhaust structures. The transition chamber has an air inlet for introducing gas. The diffusion chamber extends from a first end to a second end. The width of the first end in the radial direction is smaller than that of the second end. The diffusion chamber communicates with the transition chamber. The diffusion chamber houses a semiconductor wafer to be deposited. The one or more exhaust structures communicate with the diffusion chamber. Since the chamber structure of the present atomic layer deposition apparatus and the raw material supply method of the deposition apparatus are superior to those of the prior art, the time of each cycle of the deposition process can be shortened and the deposition efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and particularly relates to an atomic layer deposition apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Atomic layer deposition is a technique for depositing and growing thin films in a self-limiting manner by alternately introducing gas-phase reactants into a chamber and alternately performing surface saturation reactions. Atomic layer deposition has advantages such as high bond strength, good film uniformity, and good composition uniformity, and is widely applied in many fields such as microelectronic systems, memory dielectric layers, and optical thin films.

[0003] Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition can expand the selection range of precursor sources in a normal atomic layer deposition system, increase the thin film deposition rate, and lower the deposition temperature, so it can be widely used for depositing thin films on temperature-sensitive raw materials or flexible substrates. Therefore, plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition is a desirable complement to atomic layer deposition.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in order to meet the requirement of plasma energy uniformity, the volume of a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition chamber is usually designed to be relatively large. As a result, each cycle of the atomic layer deposition process takes a relatively long time, and the deposition efficiency decreases, so the production capacity of atomic layer deposition in industrial applications is significantly limited.

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve such problems existing in the prior art, it is necessary to improve the prior art atomic layer deposition apparatus.

[0006] The object of the present application is to provide an atomic layer deposition apparatus that solves the problems such as each cycle of the deposition process taking a relatively long time and having low deposition efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present application, an atomic layer deposition apparatus is provided. The atomic layer deposition apparatus comprises a transition chamber, a diffusion chamber, and one or more exhaust structures. The transition chamber has an air intake for introducing a gas. The diffusion chamber extends from a first end to a second end, with the radial width of the first end being smaller than the width of the second end. The diffusion chamber communicates with the transition chamber and accommodates the semiconductor wafer to be deposited. One or more exhaust structures communicate with the diffusion chamber.

[0008] The chamber structure and raw material supply method of the atomic layer deposition apparatus provided in this application are superior to those of the prior art, thereby shortening the time of each cycle in the deposition process and improving deposition efficiency. Furthermore, the deposition apparatus provided in this application can be used for both plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and atomic layer deposition.

[0009] To facilitate the description of embodiments of the present application, the accompanying drawings necessary to illustrate embodiments of the present application or the prior art are briefly described below. It will be clear that the accompanying drawings in the following description illustrate only a few embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art will be able to obtain drawings of other embodiments without creative work based on the examples shown in these accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic diagram showing a spray unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] This is a schematic diagram showing a spray unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing a cyclic raw material supply structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged schematic diagram of structure A shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5]This is a schematic diagram showing another annular raw material supply structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of the atomic layer deposition apparatus. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged schematic diagram showing structure B as shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of an atomic layer deposition apparatus having two cyclic raw material supply structures. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing another atomic layer deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] To better understand the purpose of this application, the application will be further described below based on several preferred embodiments thereof.

[0012] Various aspects of this application are described in detail below. While specific aspects are described, it should be understood that these aspects are for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will understand that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the application.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the atomic layer deposition apparatus 10 includes a transition chamber 102, a spray unit 104, a plasma generator 106, annular raw material supply structure 108, a diffusion chamber 110, annular exhaust structure 112, and a wafer support platform 114.

[0015] The transition chamber 102 has an air intake port 102a for introducing gas. The gas may be a process gas or a non-process gas.

[0016] The spraying part 104 is arranged in the transition chamber 102 and has a plurality of diffusion holes 104a. FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic structural diagrams showing two spraying parts 104 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, the diffusion holes 104a are uniformly distributed in the spraying part 104. The difference between FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B is only that there are no diffusion holes 104a in the central region 105 of FIG. 2A. Since the spraying part 104 with the diffusion holes 104a uniformly distributed is arranged in the transition chamber 102, the gas can be uniformly introduced into the transition chamber 102 from the air inlet 102a, which promotes the uniform distribution of the composition in the chamber and facilitates uniform deposition. It should be understood that the spraying part 104 having the uniformly distributed diffusion holes 104a is only a preferred embodiment of the present application. In other embodiments of the present application, the diffusion holes 104a do not necessarily have to be uniformly distributed in the spraying part 104.

[0017] The plasma generating device 106 is arranged on the outer periphery of the transition chamber 102. In one embodiment of the present application, the plasma generating device 106 may be a high-frequency coil. The high-frequency coil may surround the outer periphery of the transition chamber 102. After a high-frequency current passes through the high-frequency coil, the process gas passing through the spraying part 104 can be plasmaized. In other embodiments of the present application, the plasma generating device 106 may also be a remote plasma source.

[0018] The annular raw material supply structure 108 is arranged between the transition chamber 102 and the diffusion chamber 110.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram showing an annular raw material supply structure according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the annular raw material supply structure 108 has an annular body 116, raw material supply holes 118, an annular groove 120, a seal groove 122, and an intake duct 124. Multiple raw material supply holes 118 are provided and distributed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 116, and communicate with the diffusion chamber 110. The uniform distribution of raw material supply holes 118 on the inner circumferential surface ensures a uniform distribution of precursors within the diffusion chamber 110. In some embodiments of the present application, the number of raw material supply holes 118 is 4 to 40, and the diameter of each raw material supply hole 118 is 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0020] Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic view of structure A shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, in one embodiment of the present application, the angle between the raw material supply holes 118 and the horizontal plane is 30 degrees. In some other embodiments of the present application, the angle between the raw material supply holes 118 and the horizontal plane may further be in the range of 0 to 30 degrees. By clearly defining the number and diameter of the raw material supply holes 118, as well as the angle between each raw material supply hole 118 and the horizontal plane, the atomic layer deposition apparatus 10 provided in the embodiments of the present application can provide the excellent effect of uniform diffusion of the precursor. This promotes a uniform distribution of the composition in the cavity and facilitates uniform deposition. An annular groove 120 is provided in the annular body 116 and communicates with the raw material supply holes 118. The annular groove 120 can ensure that the precursor is introduced into the diffusion chamber 110 along the raw material supply holes 118. A seal groove 122 is provided in the annular body 116. A seal ring (not shown) is placed in the seal groove 122 to ensure that the precursor in the annular groove 120 does not diffuse to the outside. In other embodiments of the present application, the seal ring may be an O-ring. The intake duct 124 is positioned in the annular body 116 and extends into the annular groove 120. The intake duct 124 is configured to receive the precursor and carrier gas.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic structural view showing another annular raw material supply structure according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 5, the annular raw material supply structure 108' has an annular main body 116', a raw material supply hole 118', an annular groove 120', a seal groove 122', and intake ducts 124', 125. The annular raw material supply structure 108' is substantially the same as the annular raw material supply structure 108 shown in FIG. 3, but is different in that it has two intake ducts 124', 125. Depending on the arrangement of the two intake ducts and the composition from the transition chamber 102, not only the A + B reaction mode achievable during the use of a single intake duct, but also reaction modes such as A + B + C, (A + B) + (A + C), or A + (B + C) can be realized.

[0022] The diffusion chamber 110 communicates with the transition chamber 102 and is configured to accommodate the semiconductor wafer 126 to be deposited. The diffusion chamber 110 extends from a first end 110a to a second end 110b, with the radial width of the first end 110a being smaller than the width of the second end 110b. Such a structure of the diffusion chamber 110 facilitates the uniform distribution of the composition within the diffusion chamber 110. By communicating with the raw material supply hole 118 of the annular raw material supply structure 108 at the first end 110a, a carrier gas and precursor can be introduced into the diffusion cavity 110 from the annular raw material supply structure 108. In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, the diffusion chamber 110 employs a trumpet-shaped structural design. By adopting a trumpet-shaped structural design, the uniform distribution of the composition within the diffusion chamber 110 can be further facilitated, and the replacement of the composition within the diffusion chamber 110 can also be further facilitated. (That is, excess reactants in the diffusion chamber 110 are quickly drawn out of the chamber.) More specifically, the curved structure with angular edges influences the gas flow field. The smooth angular edge structure facilitates the smooth flow of gas in the diffusion chamber 110. The gas and reactants can be introduced into the diffusion chamber 110 in an orderly manner, or drawn out of the diffusion cavity 110 in an orderly manner. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the diffusion chamber 110 may have other structural forms, such as a trapezoidal structure or a dome-like structure.

[0023] The annular exhaust structure 112 is positioned to surround the diffusion chamber 110 and is in communication with the diffusion chamber 110.

[0024] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of the atomic layer deposition apparatus shown in Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 6, the annular intake structure 112 has an annular body 128, an annular exhaust channel 130, and an exhaust pipe 132. The annular exhaust channel 130 is positioned in the annular body 128 to form an annular air discharge passage.

[0025] Figure 7 is an enlarged schematic view of structure B shown in Figure 6. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, a slit 134 is provided between the annular exhaust channel 130 and the diffusion chamber 110. In one embodiment of the present application, the slit 134 has a height h. In one embodiment of the present application, the height h of the slit 134 may be 1 mm to 3 mm. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the height h of the slit 134 may be other values ​​and should be understood to be not particularly limited herein. The slit 134 is used to connect the annular exhaust channel 130 of the annular exhaust structure 112 to the diffusion chamber 110 in order to draw out the composition in the diffusion chamber 110. The exhaust pipe 132 is located in the annular body 128 and extends to the annular exhaust channel 130. The composition in the diffusion chamber 110 can be drawn out in order through the slit 134, the annular exhaust channel 130, and the exhaust pipe 132. The exhaust pipe 132 may be further connected to an external exhaust section (not shown) for vacuum intake. In one embodiment of the present application, the equivalent diameter of the annular exhaust channel 130 may be 20 mm to 100 mm. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the equivalent diameter of the annular exhaust channel 130 may be other values ​​and should be understood as not being particularly limited herein.

[0026] The wafer support platform 114 supports the semiconductor wafer 126 to be deposited. The wafer support platform 114 may have a heating element (not shown) for heating the semiconductor wafer 126 placed on the wafer support platform 114.

[0027] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of an atomic layer deposition apparatus having two annular raw material supply structures. As shown in Figure 8, in other embodiments of the present application, the atomic layer deposition apparatus may have two annular raw material supply structures, namely, annular raw material supply structure 108 and annular raw material supply structure 109. The annular raw material supply structure 109 is located on top of the annular raw material supply structure 108. The annular raw material inlet structure 109 is structurally identical to the annular raw material supply structure 108 and will not be described in detail again. The arrangement of the two annular raw material supply structures and the composition from the transition chamber 102 make it possible to realize not only the A+B reaction mode that can be achieved while using a single annular raw material supply structure, but also reaction modes such as A+B+C, (A+B)+(A+C), or A+(B+C).

[0028] Figure 1 is used as an example. When atomic layer deposition is performed using the atomic layer deposition apparatus 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application, it is firstly ensured that during the cycle, the carrier gas always passes through the diffusion chamber 110 stably and continuously via the intake duct 124 of the annular raw material supply structure 108. When deposition is started, the carrier gas and precursor pass through the intake duct 124 of the annular raw material supply structure 108. The precursor, together with the carrier gas, is uniformly introduced into the diffusion chamber 110. In this case, the non-process gas flows into the upper part of the transition chamber 102 from the air intake port 102a of the transition chamber 102 via the spray section 104 and diffuses quickly and uniformly onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer 126. As a result, the surface of the semiconductor wafer 126 reaches saturation adsorption. Next, the introduction of the precursor is stopped, and the carrier gas from the intake duct 124 of the annular raw material supply structure 108 and the non-process gas from the upper part of the transition chamber 102 are continuously passed through the diffusion chamber 110 until the unreacted precursor is completely discharged. Next, the introduction of the non-process gas is stopped, and the process gas is allowed to pass through the air intake 102a of the transition chamber 102 (this operation ensures that the air pressure in the chamber is stabilized). The process gas can then be uniformly introduced into the transition chamber 102 via the spray section 104 within the transition chamber 102, and by simultaneously activating the remote plasma source or high-frequency coil, the process gas becomes excited with a relatively high activation energy. Due to the gas flow, the excited process gas uniformly reaches the surface of the semiconductor wafer 126 through the trumpet-shaped diffusion chamber 110 and can react with the precursor on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 126. Finally, the process gas and the remote plasma source or high-frequency coil are stopped, and the non-process gas is allowed to pass through until the excess process gas is completely discharged by the carrier gas (this operation ensures that the air pressure in the chamber is stabilized). Layer deposition can be performed in this manner. By repeating the above steps 1 to 4 times, atomic layer deposition is achieved.

[0029] The atomic layer deposition apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application has at least the following advantages. 1. The process gas can be uniformly introduced into the transition chamber, promoting a uniform distribution of the composition within the chamber and facilitating uniform deposition. 2. The carrier gas can uniformly transport the precursor into the diffusion chamber, allowing the precursor to be quickly and uniformly diffused onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer. 3. By improving the shape and structure of the diffusion chamber, uniform distribution of the composition within the diffusion chamber is promoted, and rapid replacement of the composition within the diffusion chamber can be further facilitated. 4. The annular exhaust structure improves the fluidity of gas in the horizontal direction on the semiconductor wafer surface, further ensuring the consistency of the composition on the semiconductor wafer surface and effectively improving the uniformity of the deposited thin film. 5. Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the present invention modifies the conventional exhaust method by arranging an annular exhaust structure, thereby reducing the space required at the bottom of the atomic layer deposition apparatus.

[0030] Compared to conventional technology, the atomic layer deposition apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention employs a special chamber structure and raw material supply method, which facilitates gas exchange in the chamber, shortens the cycle time of each cycle, and improves deposition efficiency.

[0031] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing another atomic layer deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, the atomic layer deposition apparatus 20 includes a transition chamber 202, a spray unit 204, a plasma generator 206, an annular raw material supply structure 208, a diffusion chamber 210, an annular exhaust structure 212, and a wafer support platform 214. The main structure of the atomic layer deposition apparatus 20 is the same as that of the atomic layer deposition apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, except that the atomic layer deposition apparatus 20 further includes a bottom exhaust structure 216. The bottom exhaust structure 216 is located at the bottom of the diffusion chamber 210. Vacuum intake can be achieved by connecting the bottom exhaust structure 216 to an external suction unit (not shown). In Figure 9, the bottom exhaust structure 216 has the shape of a bottom exhaust channel. However, in some other embodiments of the present application, the bottom exhaust structure 216 may have other structural forms, as long as vacuum exhaust can be achieved. By arranging both the annular exhaust structure 212 and the exhaust channel 216, the horizontal gas flowability on the semiconductor wafer surface in a single intake mode can be further improved, further ensuring the consistency of the composition on the semiconductor wafer surface and further improving the uniformity of the deposited thin film. In addition, by combining the two intake modes, the intake speed can be increased, the deposition time can be shortened, and the deposition speed can be further increased.

[0032] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present application, the annular exhaust structure 212 may not be provided, and only the bottom exhaust structure 216 may be provided. Even with such a structure, it is possible to ensure the consistency of the composition on the surface of the semiconductor wafer and improve the uniformity of the deposited thin film.

[0033] Throughout this specification, references to “one embodiment of the Application” or similar terms should be noted as including certain features, structures, or characteristics that are also described in other embodiments, but are not necessarily present in all of those embodiments. Therefore, events corresponding to the phrase “one embodiment of the Application” or similar terms throughout this specification do not necessarily occur in the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics in a particular embodiment may be combined in an appropriate manner with one or more other embodiments.

[0034] The technical content and features of the present invention have been disclosed to date. However, those skilled in the art will be able to make various substitutions and modifications based on the teachings and disclosures of this application without departing from the spirit of this application. Accordingly, the scope of the rights of this application is not limited to the content disclosed in the embodiments, but includes various substitutions and modifications that do not depart from this application and are protected by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A transition chamber having an air intake for introducing gas, A diffusion chamber extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the width of the first end in the radial direction is smaller than that of the second end, communicating with the transition chamber and configured to accommodate the semiconductor wafer to be deposited, One or more exhaust structures communicating with the aforementioned diffusion chamber, A first annular raw material supply structure and a second annular raw material supply structure are disposed between the transition chamber and the diffusion chamber, Equipped with, The first annular raw material supply structure is placed on the second annular raw material supply structure, Each of the first annular raw material supply structure and the second annular raw material supply structure is, The ring-shaped body and Multiple raw material supply holes distributed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular body, An annular groove is arranged in the annular body and communicates with the plurality of raw material supply holes, An atomic layer deposition apparatus having one or more intake ducts arranged in the annular body and extending into the annular groove.

2. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion chamber has a trumpet-shaped structure, a trapezoidal structure, or a dome-shaped structure.

3. The one or more exhaust structures include an annular exhaust structure that surrounds the diffusion chamber and communicates with the diffusion chamber, The aforementioned annular exhaust structure is The ring-shaped body and An annular exhaust channel arranged in the annular body, The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an exhaust pipe disposed on the annular body and extending to the annular exhaust channel.

4. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a slit is provided between the annular exhaust channel and the diffusion chamber so as to connect the annular exhaust structure to the diffusion chamber.

5. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the one or more exhaust structures include a bottom exhaust structure disposed at the bottom of the diffusion chamber.

6. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a spray section having a plurality of diffusion holes and disposed within the transition chamber.

7. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of diffusion holes are uniformly distributed on the surface of the spraying section.

8. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of diffusion holes are uniformly distributed except in the central region of the surface of the spraying portion.

9. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plasma generation device arranged on the outer periphery of the transition chamber.

10. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first annular raw material supply structure and the second annular raw material supply structure each further include a seal groove disposed in the annular body and a seal ring disposed in the seal groove.

11. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle between each of the plurality of raw material supply holes and the horizontal plane is between 0 degrees and 30 degrees.

12. The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wafer support platform disposed within the diffusion chamber and configured to support the semiconductor wafer.

Images